Run for Your Life

August 6, 2018
Cucuzzella, a physician, offers readers a path to health and a sense of well-being in this detailed fitness guide. More and more studies show that “sitting is killing us,” Cucuzzella writes, asserting that movement is the cure. Despite the book’s title, he emphasizes the value of walking as much as running, and gives equal attention to marathon training, “exercise snacks,” “relearning to breathe,” and diet. Along with exercise tips, he provides simple anatomy lessons, such as on “the care and feeding of your fascia.” In keeping with his status as an Air Force Reserve lieutenant, Cucuzzella provides “drills” throughout, beginning with an “initial prescription” for sedentary people and culminating with an appendix that provides “drills for a lifetime.” More than half of all runners are injured each year, he notes, a concern he takes particularly seriously because it’s “too easy... for an injured runner to become a former runner.” As such, he emphasizes “prehab, not rehab” and advises readers to ignore the “no pain, no gain” saying in lieu of a “no pain, thank you” approach. A runner since 13 and a marathon finisher (2 hours 24 minutes), Cucuzzella clearly knows his subject matter and is well-equipped to provide advice and encouragement to runners (and walkers) of all levels.

Starred review from September 1, 2018
A mix of pep talk, oodles of medical info, and a dash of Zen, this book offers something special for readers at nearly every level of physical activity, from couch potato to ultramarathoner. Discussions of biomechanics, anatomy and physiology, nutrition, and rehabilitation for injuries are enhanced by abundant illustrations and extensive exercise tips. There are sections on runner's high, safely running while pregnant, prepping for a marathon, and "outsmarting" injuries. Cucuzzella has all the right credentials as a practicing family doctor, exceptional long-distance runner, and proprietor of a running- and walking-shoe store to write a marvelous book about human motion. He describes walking as the perfect form of movement, accessible and low impact. He believes, "The beauty of running is its simplicity." But warnings abound. Sitting is killing us (really). Modern shoes are hurting us (by causing poor posture, weak arches, impaired toe movement). Anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) and cortisone injections can disrupt healing of orthopedic injuries. Running doesn't have to be hard and painful. The healthiest runners don't train for maximum velocity but instead for greatest efficiency. Find a pace that's sustainable, not a speed that wipes you out. Cucuzzella's combination of sound advice, passion, and myth crushing will surely make readers want to get moving.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)